Introduction
The
IA 170 served as my introduction to Magnum Audio as a high-end audio
manufacturer. Magnum Audio is a British electronics company that is
building a strong following on the east side of the pond and is
expanding its reach within the U.S. The IA 170 is an integrated amp
that retails for $750 here in the United States without a phono
section, and $850 with phono included. For $750, the listener gets a
one-chassis amplifier and preamp with 70 watts per channel into eight
ohms and 110 watts per channel into four ohms, six single-ended inputs,
one tape loop, a headphone output, mute and mono switches and
bi-wireable speaker terminals. One of the unit’s inputs, labeled
"monitor," is connected directly to the amplifying circuits for a purer
signal path. The front of the IA 170, with the exception of its
nameplate (which appears to be easily removable), is an attractive
polished steel. While rare for an integrated amplifier at this price
point, the unit is likely to elicit a strong pride of ownership due to
its solid build quality and pleasing look.

The
IA 170’s interior is fairly simple and straightforward. I would be
surprised if the unit did not provide many years of reliable service.
There is a single toroidal power transformer and four output devices.
The parts appear to be of better than average quality, although they
are not extremely expensive name brands.

The Music
I utilized the IA 170 in my reference music system, which at this time
is comprised of RBH Sound MC-6T speakers, a Yamaha TX-950 tuner and a
Pioneer Elite PDR-19RW digital front end, connected with Audio Analysis
cabling.

The source I used for the majority of my critical listening was a
Pioneer Elite PDR-19RW CD player, which I connected through the monitor
input on the IA 170. I tried connecting the CD player to the other
inputs and found only the slightest of differences, with the advantage
going to the monitor input.

Upon first listen, the IA 170 did not impress me. I found the sound to
be dark and muddy. This changed significantly upon burning in and
physically warming up the unit. This, once again, demonstrates the
importance of breaking in and warming up a product before beginning any
critical listening sessions.

The IA 170 never fully overcame my first impressions of it. Throughout
my listening experience, the sound of the unit remained recessed and
rolled off on the upper end. I never found the unit to be bright or
forward. These characteristics also contributed to a very smooth, full
sound. During my time with the IA 170, an audio enthusiast friend
commented that the sound was reminiscent of tubes, especially in the
mid-bass, which was very full and smooth at the cost of some detail.

Most components have some sort of sonic aberrations, and they usually
vary by frequency. To the IA 170’s credit, the unit’s sonic signature
is consistent throughout its useable frequency range, allowing for a
cohesive, rather than disjointed, sonic image. The IA 170 easily
provides a comfortable listening environment that is not overwhelming.

Robbie
Robertson’s eponymously titled album (Mobile Fidelity) spent a lot of
time in my CD player during the IA 170’s stay in my system. The first
track, "Fallen Angel," provided a good demonstration of the IA 170’s
overall performance. The soundstage was very wide and went back a good
distance. The entire soundstage was somewhat distant, placing the
listener near the back of the auditorium rather than closer to the
musicians. St. Germain’s album Tourist (Blue Note) provides a good mix
of wind and percussion instruments. The IA 170 gives a solid
presentation of the drums. Despite the lack of detail and transparency
of my Bow Technologies Wazoo ($3500), I was easily able to discern the
steel drums on the track "So Flute."

While
listening to Crystal Method’s album Vegas (City of Angels), and in
particular the track "Busy Child," I noted the speed of the attack on
sharp transients to be a bit slow. This slowness was not particularly
pronounced or bothersome, but it was definitely detectable on albums
with fast and hard transients such as this electronic masterpiece. To
its credit, the IA 170 reproduced the demanding bass track of "Busy
Child" with convincing solidity. In addition to the aforementioned
albums, I ran through a variety of jazz, rock and pop music with
consistent results.

No matter what type of music was
played, the soundstage remained wide and deep, the sound full-bodied,
the bass solid and extended and the highs slightly rolled off. There
was no graininess or edginess until the volume was pushed to the limit.
Throughout my listening, the unit remained remarkably well composed and
balanced, with the entire frequency range evenly pushed slightly to the
dark side and the entire soundstage pulled back from the listener. As
observed earlier, the sonic colorations present in this unit equally
affect the sound as a whole, maintaining cohesiveness, rather than
affecting different ranges in different ways.

The Downside
The IA 170’s shortcomings are fairly limited in scope and fully
described above. The only sonic shortcomings are the recessed
soundstage and the overall balance being on the dark side. While the
downsides are limited, they are noticeable and should be considered
before purchase.

Conclusion
The IA 170 is a competent unit that would be a great addition to a
system that needed some rough edges smoothed out or some overly bright
highs tamed. The unit suffers a bit when pushed hard and should not be
used with speakers that have demanding impedance curves.

This is not the unit for those who seek absolute neutrality and
transparency. However, when properly placed, the IA 170 is more than
sufficient to serve as the centerpiece of a well-balanced system. At
$750 (or even compared to units selling for twice that amount), the
sound quality of the IA 170 is remarkably cohesive and devoid of
graininess common in solid state components in this price range.